1. You need AdWords, because Google is trying to aggressively monetise search results

The realities of search engine optimisation are changing; a predictable evolution made even clearer by the host of recent search result interface changes – including the increase in ads above the fold area (4 listings in the top results and 1 listing in Google maps), and many more…

Why so much change?

It’s pretty simple: Google is trying to retain all the lucrative real estate of the “above the fold” area on search result pages.

This means that local and organic SEO search results don’t show until users scroll down.

Google is trying very hard to make the ads look exactly like normal search results. So we accidentally click, and they make more money.

It’s a win for those with big paid campaigns, but it’s not so positive for small businesses working to get their listings up without the extensive financial fork-out…

Figure 1: As you can see, when it comes to local keywords, the first half of the page is Google Ads

Figure 2: Currently, only one ad is featured on the Google Maps area, but I think soon enough Google will add another in

The hard cold truth is: if you want to compete – especially on local level – you need to run Adwords together with SEO to gain full momentum.

But that raises another question: “Why bother with SEO, when we could just be running AdWords?”

Despite Google’s attempts to make ads look exactly like normal search results, search users are getting savvier. We can, more often than not, spot paid advertising and skip down to the local and organic search results.

I sure do – unless I find a particularly eye-catching ad!

This means that Click Through Rates (CTR) really are different for Paid Ads and Organic Listings.

Some studies have shown that the average click through rate on ads is 1.9% – less than 2 people per 100 views actually click through!

Why so low? Google rotates ads and shares top ad listing spots among all eligible advertisers, so you’ll never really enjoy total visibility.

The solution? Ensure your ads are of Google quality, otherwise it doesn’t matter how much you pay – Google will push your ads down in position if they suck!

3. AdWords can be used to direct SEO campaigns and provide fast results

It’s all about time – and time is money.

So the first beauty of PPC is its immediacy – tweak ad copy and 5 mins later you are getting traffic and conversion data – and it’s the same with new keywords.

This means you can test certain hypotheses in PPC to get an idea of performance before rolling them out in SEO campaigns.

This ability to test our ads can help understand what imagery is most appealing to our audience, too. Split-testing image ads with different selling points can give us info on what messaging really works, before we deploy them on site!

What does this mean for SEO? Put simply, if your keywords work for paid search they will work for SEO too. If they don’t, don’t waste your time on them!

I also get why small businesses opt for AdWords instead of earning their spot at the top with SEO and great content.

Doing SEO instead would be like waiting for an amazing cup of coffee, instead of just whipping up that not so good cup of instant.

But keep in mind that paid listings are, in essence, short term solutions. Great to test the water before engaging in full-scale SEO campaigns, but not great in the long run: Google Ads only get more expensive as more advertisers hop on board.

Luckily, Google AdWords can be scaled down to groups of keywords that bring in more sales than the rest.

Or if your SEO campaign has picked up and driven good quality leads through that group of keywords, you can reduce the budget for AdWords.

4. Use SEO to avoid expensive PPC Keywords

I’ve worked across a range of industries, and I’ve found that some PPC keywords just aren’t cost-effective.

Do your digging, find those pricy keywords, and communicate these to your SEO team. They can emphasise organic ranking for these terms and use the PPC budget for more cost-effective terms!

And do it now. This way, your PPC team can pause ads for those expensive keywords and redistribute their budget.

Or, look to get both organic and paid placements on the first page.

With all that in mind, here’s what I suggest:

If you need traffic now, give AdWords a try. But don’t forget to start creating content and trying to rank on Google yourself.

That way, in the long term, you can reduce your ad spend once you start ranking higher.

And if you have the money, it’s worth covering both the SEO angle and PPC ads on Google.

Ultimately, SEO hasn’t been replaced by big budgets and paid listings. In fact, in some respects, SEO is still ahead of the curve.

So explore the options available to you on both ends of the search results scale, and find a happy medium.

Your sales will thank you later!

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I've worked in the world of online marketing since 2004 after graduating from university with a bachelor's degree in Business Administration (Marketing).

Since then, I've developed a strong skill set in marketing, business consulting and web development (MBA from University of Missouri – Columbia in 2010, Masters in Marketing from University of Technology Sydney in 2011 and Web Design & Development from TAFE in 2012) , offering to my clients extensive knowledge and analysis on SEO and online marketing, coupled with relevant hands-on experience working on hundreds of challenging case studies and projects.

The focus of this blog is on SEO and related internet marketing, with a specific concentration towards SME's. My motto towards online marketing follows the KISS principle, that by keeping it simple can lead to incredible results.

I cut through the rhetoric and latest jargon to make SEO and online marketing easier for my readers to understand and implement.

Every single blog post that I produce is on a carefully selected topic, relevant and topical to latest in SEO and internet marketing, full of tips and news that you can apply immediately to your business for it to grow and achieve incredible results.

These blog posts represent the accumulation of my years' of experience in this industry, and my desire to put them in writing to share them with you to help develop better industry wide SEO practices.